ABOUT US

The TWU: An Organising Union

We exist as a union to be a powerful voice for transport workers in the fight for economic and social justice.

We are the collective voice of tens of thousands of transport workers across NSW and the ACT, who stand together for secure jobs with good pay, good working conditions and world class safety standards.

We are a strong and growing union, but we are only as strong as our members on the ground. We work in all parts of the transport industry, including trucking, buses and taxis, at our airports, on the waterfronts, in the waste and cash in transit industries, in distribution centres and associated workplaces.

Over many years of organising and campaigning we have achieved many great things, including Safe Rates laws for truck drivers, national workplace agreements with billion dollar global companies and the best wages, conditions and safety standards in the transport industry.

The hard work our members, delegates and activists put into their yards lifts the standards for every transport worker – union member or not.

From humble beginnings on July 24th 1888 as the Sydney Trolley and Draymen’s Union, we have been campaigning for a better life for our members. But there’s always a shonky operator to fight, and there is always a dodgy boss trying to squeeze more out of employees for less and that’s why we’re here.

So if you’re not already a member join now to become part of Australia’s leading union and protect your rights at work!We are committed to:

ACTING WITH PURPOSE

Our actions as a union are directed by our shared belief that transport workers win when they,

Commit to acting collectively and radically when they see injustice.

Have the skills, confidence and solidarity to exercise power for themselves.

Exercise power to achieve specific and measurable improvements in their jobs, industries and communities.

BUILDING STRONG UNION STRUCTURES

To achieve our purpose we will build a union that,

Will win. We know that in the transport industry, power is held by the economic forces at the top of supply chains and we work to build structures that give our members power at that same level.

Values leadership and develops leaders who value debate and differences.

Prioritises democratic decision making. We are committed to maintaining and building democratic structures at all levels.

Demands solidarity. When decisions are made, we unite to support that decision because unity is the key to our strength.

Is accountable. We hold ourselves accountable to each other for how we build power, develop leaders, achieve growth and interact with management. In all our activities we are focussed on our shared purpose and we challenge each other to be bold, radical and collective in how we achieve that purpose.

Fights for justice. As transport workers we stand up for our rights, our industries and our communities against powerful corporate interests. Where those corporate interests have purchased political, regulatory, legal or social tools to strip the rights of our members, we will not be limited in our actions to fight for justice.

ORGANISING IN EVERYTHING WE DO

As leaders in our union, we demonstrate our purpose and values daily by,

Standing up against all forms of discrimination to build an inclusive and values based union for all transport workers.

Refusing attempts by bosses to divide us and affirm our shared identity as transport workers.

Developing our members into skilled, confident and resilient leaders at all levels.